Modern commercially produced beverages such as soft drinks and juices are generally packaged in standard size, low-cost bottles or cartons for convenient storage and shipment. In the soft drink market in particular, standard, large-size, two-litre plastic bottles have been adopted across the industry. These bottles are constructed from a thin and highly elastic plastic, and have a bottom or base that is indented or ribbed.
Certain features of the standard two litre bottles, however, can be inconvenient for consumers. First, due to their wide diameter and highly flexible or elastic construction, they can be unwieldy and difficult to hold. A related problem is that when the bottles are gripped to perform common tasks such as opening or pouring, the soft elastic wall structure may compress excessively and cause the bottles to unexpectedly spurt or spill some of their liquid contents. This problem is generally more acute when using bottles that are closer to being full, and for users with smaller or weaker hands, such as seniors and children.
Another problematic feature of the standard soft drink bottles is their indented base, which limits their stability when placed on a flat surface. As a result, the bottles are susceptible to being inadvertently knocked or tipped over. This might occur, for example, at large gatherings or where children are present upon a slight jarring of a table surface. Similarly, bottle tipping often occurs in home refrigerators where the bottles stand on thin wire racks. While it is possible to avoid tipping in this case by storing bottles on their side, this is not entirely satisfactory since it results in a loss of usable refrigerator space.
An attempt to address these problems is provided by Pych, U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,431, which teaches a cannister with a handle and a flat base, and a detachable top. The detachable top threads onto the cannister and helps secure the bottle. However, the use of two separate pieces makes the Pych device more costly to manufacture and complicated to use. Also, in practice, some of the liquid soft drink may get on the cannister threads and harden, which is unsanitary and difficult to clean.
Some other devices have been attempted that are constructed from one piece. However, these generally use a type of ring that needs to be snapped into place to support the neck of the bottle when pouring. Such rings may break due to material deformation from repeated use, and may be difficult for some people to use.